Bacon Falafel Bites With Hummus Food

HUMMUS

Steps:

• Put the garbanzo beans in a large bowl and fill with water to cover. Rub the beans between the palms of your hands and against each other to loosen the skins. Continue until all of the skins have been released. Discard the skins.
• Transfer the skinned garbanzo beans to a food processor. Add the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. (If the hummus is not creamy enough, add more olive oil.)
• To serve, spread the hummus on a round platter, sprinkle with paprika and za'atar, and drizzle with olive oil.

HUMMUS BOWLS WITH SPICED LAMB

Steps:

• Bring the chickpeas and their liquid to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Drain, reserving the liquid. Set aside 1/4 cup chickpeas for topping. Process the remaining chickpeas in a food processor with 1/2 cup chickpea liquid, the tahini, half of the garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon each cumin and salt to make a silky puree, scraping down the sides as needed, 2 to 3 minutes. If the hummus is too thick, add more chickpea liquid 1 tablespoon at a time; season with salt.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons drippings. Stir in the remaining garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, the paprika, cinnamon and allspice; cook, stirring, until toasted, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and half of the herbs.
• Divide the hummus among bowls. Top with the lamb mixture, the reserved chickpeas, remaining herbs and a light drizzle of olive oil. Serve with pita and cucumber salad.

HUMMUS

Steps:

• In a bowl, soak the dried beans in 6 cups water overnight.
• Discard water and rinse the beans in fresh water. Add beans to a stockpot with 6 more cups water. On high heat, bring water to a boil and cook, turning down the heat to medium when foam appears at the top, about 30 minutes. Cover pot and cook until beans are soft, an additional 15 minutes. Drain and cool beans overnight in the fridge.
• Add beans to a food processer with a handful of ice, the lemon juice, garlic, sesame tahini and salt. Grind in food processor until it has a pudding-type consistency. Garnish with olive oil, paprika and sumac. Can be served with pita bread or carrots.

CHOCOLATE HUMMUS WITH CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• For the hummus: In the bowl of a food processor blend the cocoa powder, maple syrup, almond extract, cinnamon, salt and garbanzo beans. Add a little bit of water to adjust the consistency if needed.
• For the bacon: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Cook the bacon to desired doneness in the microwave or on the stovetop. Sprinkle the hot bacon with brown sugar then bake for 5 minutes.
• Dip the candied bacon in the chocolate hummus and enjoy!